What schools should I be looking at?

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

<p>I have been contemplating over the past few months where I should apply ED. Brown University has always been my dream school, but I feel like I'd have a greater chance being accepted at UPenn (higher acceptance rate, good relationship with my high school, etc.), which I also happen to love. I really don't know what other schools I should be applying to. I have almost 20 in mind that I most likely would enjoy, but I still really need help. </p>

<p>If anyone could take a look and tell me some advice about my ED dilemma and what schools I should look into, I'd greatly appreciate it.
I also wouldn't mind helping anyone else out either. </p>

<p>3.9 GPA, 4.6 HPA (may be a little higher, I can't remember the last time I checked)</p>

<p>ACT: 34, taking again in June (trying my hardest for a 35!!)
SAT: Not sending in
SAT Subject: 700 World History, taking US, Math 2, and Chemistry in June</p>

<p>Rank: 40/620, should go down when my final grades are in (my school is crazy). </p>

<p>Freshman Year
Bio Honors: A/A
Algebra 2 Honors: B/B :(
English Honors: A/A
AP Human Geography: A/A (4)
Spanish 1: A/A
Journalism: A/A
PE (required to graduate): A/A</p>

<p>Sophomore Year
AP Environmental Science: A/A (5)
AP World History: A/A (4)
Trig Honors: A/A
Chemistry Honors: A/A
English Honors: A/A
Spanish 2: A/A
Student Government: A/A</p>

<p>Junior Year
AP Psychology: A/A
AP Chemistry: A/A
AP Language: A/A
APUSH: A/A
AP Art History: A/A
Spanish 3 Honors: A/A
Student Government: A/A</p>

<p>Senior Year Schedule
AP Physics
AP Calculus
AP Gov/AP Econ
AP Lit
Spanish 4
Student Government</p>

<p>Dual enrolling two classes over the summer and one in the fall.</p>

<p>Student Government - Recording Secretary senior year
Model UN - Director of Fundraising junior year, Vice President senior year (won position paper award and my school has won best small delegation two years in a row)
Key Club - Director of Community Service junior year</p>

<p>Outside of school I am extremely involved in BBYO, a Jewish youth group organization. It is my passion. I have held board positions on my chapter, and it has really let me find my place in this world. I have also been a volunteer counselor at a summer camp and a volunteer teacher at my religious school. </p>

<p>I'm most likely going into college with the idea of studying international relations, but I am particularly interested in counterterrorism and criminal justice of the international community. I am also hoping to extend my studies in law school. </p>

<p>I don't think I forgot much. I would really be grateful for any type of help. Thanks :)</p>

2

<p>Please don’t apply ED to any school unless you are 100% absolutely certain that is THE school you would like to attend and that you can comfortably afford it… Ask yourself how you would feel if you were to get accepted at UPenn ED…would you always wonder if you could have gone to Brown? If Brown is indeed your Dream school, apply ED there and then to the others RD if that doesn’t work out…</p>

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<p>You seem to be very competitive (like most other people), so you should apply ED to the school you absolutely love. Since ED is binding, you should absolutely love the school you’re applying to and should have no regrets going. To make your choice, consider these two options:</p>

<p>A) You apply to Brown ED and get in. You never even have a chance of going to Penn.</p>

<p>B) You apply to Penn ED and get in. You never even have a chance of going to Brown.</p>

<p>Which choice made you sadder? Would you regret either? Would you always consider “what could have been” if you don’t apply to one school?</p>

<p>If I were you, I would apply to your absolute dream school ED which you said was Brown because if I’m bound to go to a certain school, I would want to be bound to my first choice.</p>

4

<p>I forgot to add: Don’t apply ED to a school just because you think that you have a better chance of getting in. That could lead to a sense of regret that you didn’t apply to your top choice school. If you choose to apply ED to Penn, do it because Penn is your first choice. Don’t do it for any other reason.</p>

5

<p>@Sdgal2‌ @SJJunior‌ thank you both! I should have added that the reason it has been a difficult choice is because I would 200% go to both schools. I have been interested in Brown for a longer period of time, but after recently visiting Penn, I fell in love with it and also could completely see myself there. That’s why it’s so difficult, agh!</p>

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<p>Have you visited Brown? Did you get a similar feeling of absolutely falling in love at both schools? If you have even the slightest feeling that you want one school over the other, then apply ED to that school. If all else fails, flip a coin: heads is Brown, tails is Penn. Its psychologically proven that your true feelings will come out if you do this because you will either be happy with the result (e.g. you get a heads and you are excited to apply to Brown) or you will be sad about the result (e.g. you get a heads and you wish it had been a tails so that you would apply to Penn instead). If the feeling you get after the coin flip is neutral, then do more research. If you still cannot decide, then do another coin flip test and see what your opinion is. Just to make this clear, I do not think that you should base your college off a flip of the coin. It is only a way for you to realize your true feelings.</p>

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<p>@SJJunior‌ I still have all of summer to decide, so hopefully I’ll make my decision then. I don’t even know if I’m even close to qualifying as someone with a chance. I really appreciate the help, thank you so much!</p>

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<p>Ya my suggestion was kind of a last resort type idea! And your stats seem to be pretty competitive. Good luck with your final choice, though!</p>